How Are Students Nominated?

Only school principals or guidance counselors are certified to nominate students.  Any student who will complete the 7th, 8th or 9th grade at the conclusion of the 2012-2013 academic year and who scores at the 95th percentile or higher on a nationally standardized achievement exam qualifies for nomination.

Nomination packets are mailed to school counselors around the first of September. If your school is not on our mailing list, we would be glad to send them a packet and add them to our mailing list.

School principals or counselors may nominate any current 7th, 8th, or 9th grader who has scored at the 95th percentile or above in at least one area on a recognized and normed standardized achievement examination, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, Stanford Achievement Test, CTBS, and MAP. Since some states use different tests than these and other states no longer use standardized national exams, we will make accommodations to fit personal circumstances.

NOTE:  Students who attended JBA last summer will not need to be nominated for the 2013 Joseph Baldwin Academy.

All nominations must be received on-line or postmarked by October 5, 2012 to qualify for application to the 2013 Joseph Baldwin Academy.

Please contact Jana Morton, Assistant to the Dean at 660/785-5406 or email her at jmorton@truman.edu to receive your Joseph Baldwin Academy Nomination Packet or for any questions regarding the standardized test scores.

Our current list for Standardized Test scores are listed below:

CTBS	95% or above in any Academic Subject
CTP-4	95% or above in any Academic Subject
DAT	95% or above in any Academic Subject
ERB	95% or above in any Academic Subject
Explore	95% or above in any Academic Subject
FCAT	Reading Scale Score 7th grade 389-500, 8th grade 394-500 Math Scale Score 7th grade 379-500, 8th grade 371-500
Iowa Test of Basic Skills	95% or above in any Academic Subject
ISTEP	95% or above in any Academic Subject
MAP or Terra Nova	95% or above in any Academic Subject
Metropolitan Achievement Test - MAT 8	95% or above in any Academic Subject
Minnesota Comprehensive Test	95% or above in any Academic Subject
MCT - Mississippi    Grade 7    Grade 8	Reading           Language       Mathematics 600                      605                  623 611                      609                  640
Ohio Proficiency Testing	Advanced proficient in two or more academic areas (reading, writing, math or science)
OLSAT	95% or above in any Academic Subject
Stanford 9 & 10	95% or above in any Academic Subject area (Listening, Problem Solving & Study Skills fall under Academic Skills area and are not acceptable)
State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness STARR - 8th grade	English Language Arts English I Reading:  raw score 45 or above English II Reading:  raw score 45 or above English III Reading:  raw score 44 or above Math Algebra I:  raw score 42 or above Geometry I:  raw score 40 or above Algebra II:  raw score 32 or above Science Biology:  raw score 45 or above Chemistry:  raw score 43 or above Physics:  raw score 39 or above Social Studies World Geography:  raw score 57 or above World History:  raw score 54 or above US History:  raw score 55 or above
Texas TAKS- 7th or 8th grades	7th grade Reading: 932 or higher Scale Score Mathematics: 929 or higher Scale Score 8th grade Social Studies 2723 or higher Science 2657 or higher
TCAP	95% or above in any Academic Subject
WISC-III	95% or above in any Academic Subject

You may ONLY use the following for students who do not have standardized test scores due to testing in non-academic subjects with MAP in 5th & 6th grade:

GPA	3.75 – 4.0
I.Q. testing	125 or above = 95%

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Who is Eligible?

Enrollment for the on-campus Joseph Baldwin Academy experience is limited to students completing the seventh, eighth, or ninth grade by June 2013 who meet the qualifications for Distinguished Nominee status for the program. To qualify as a Distinguished Nominee, a student must score at the 95th percentile or above in at least one area on a normed, standardized achievement test such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Stanford Achievement Test, California Achievement Test, CTBS, Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, or MAP, and be nominated by his or her school's principal or counselor. Since some states use different tests than these and other states no longer use standardized national exams, we will make accommodations to fit your personal circumstances. NOTE:  Students who attended the Academy last year will not need to be nominated for the 2013 Joseph Baldwin Academy.  They will automatically receive the application materials.

Home School Students:  Home school students may be nominated by a parent.  Parents will need to supply a standardized test score or I.Q. test results as described above and provide the Dean with a copy of the student's curriculum plan from the last two years.  The Dean will handle such students on a case-by-case basis.  School Counselors are encouraged to alert home school students in their area about this opportunity.

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How Do I Apply?

Distinguished Nominees who are certified as eligible for the final selection process will receive notification in October of their Distinguished Nominee designation, as well as information and application materials for the Joseph Baldwin Academy.  Final selection as one of the Eminent Young Scholars is based on application information, a complete school transcript (two full years), a letter of recommendation from a current teacher and ACT test scores (SAT or PSAT test scores are also accepted).   Information on how to register to take the ACT will be included in the Joseph Baldwin Academy application packet. 

Applications will not be accepted without two full year's transcripts and the teacher recommendation.  A copy of a student's last two years' transcripts, completed Teacher Recommendation form and signature page should be sent to JBA and be postmarked by November 16th. Once the student's application materials have been received and processed, a card will be sent indicating receipt of application. Students will be notified of acceptance late February.
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Distinguished Nominees who wish to attend the Joseph Baldwin Academy must take a college entrance examination on or before December 8, 2012 and scores must be received before February 8, 2013 to be eligible for the 2013 Joseph Baldwin Academy.  The American College Testing Program (ACT) is the preferred exam, although students are also welcome to complete the SAT or PSAT.   Students taking the ACT exam on December 8, 2012, must register to take the exam by November 2, 2012.  Applicants must provide a copy of their ACT/SAT/PSAT test scores by February 8, 2013 to be considered.  If a student takes the ACT/SAT/PSAT after the December test date, the Academy will not receive the results in time to determine acceptance by February (see above).  

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To Register for the ACT

Due to Internet privacy laws, students younger than 13 cannot register online even if their parents or guardians register them.

• If you are under 13, register by mail using the paper registration folder.  You also must register by paper registration folder if you are paying by check or money order.  You may order a paper registration folder online at www.actstudent.org .
• If you are older than 13, register online at www.actstudent.org .  Payment must be made by a valid credit card.  Create your free student Web account and follow the instructions on the screen.

To identify yourself as a Joseph Baldwin Academy nominee, you must enter the JBA high school and college code which can be found in your application packet.

NOTE:  If you have already registered to take the ACT through another talent search program, DO NOT REGISTER AGAIN.  Call ACT Registration at 319/337-1270 and add the JBA codes to your existing registration.

REMEMBER
After you have registered and received your ticket from ACT, you will need acceptable identification or you will not be admitted to test. Print a letter of identification by clicking on the link below and take it with you on the test date. You must bring your ticket with your ID letter.
ACT Letter of Identification

NOTE: Students returning to JBA for a second or third year may choose to use their ACT scores from a previous year, but they are encouraged to retake the test and submit new scores.  Acceptance to the Joseph Baldwin Academy is not determined by the score a student receives on the ACT/SAT or PSAT.  This is merely an important tool for our faculty to use when placing students in courses.
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Do You Accept Late Applicants?

Students whose applications and materials are postmarked after November 16, 2012 are considered late.   Late applications may be accepted until February 8, 2013.  Late applicants will be mailed a letter acknowledging its receipt, but are then set aside while we attempt to place all students who applied on time and handle withdrawals.   This process may take until the first payment due date of April 29th. At that time, we will attempt to place late applicants in any open class choices they made. If there are no available spots in any of your top choices, we will contact you to let you know what classes are still available and give you the option to be considered for one of these courses. Your application will then be forwarded to the instructor of that course for consideration. If the instructor accepts you into his/her class, we will notify by mail. In some cases we are unable to place all students who apply to the Academy.

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How Are Courses Assigned?

The Academy attempts to place students in their first class choice, but some classes have more applicants than seats available. The instructor for each class reviews student files and determines whether an applicant would be able to successfully complete the class by considering such factors as the student’s ACT score, school transcript, essay responses, letter of recommendation, and, if applicable, their previous work at the Academy.

The Academy will inform students once their application has been received and completed (including ACT/SAT/PSAT score). Students whose applications are complete by the deadline of November 16, 2012 will have the best chance of receiving their first class choice. No student will be placed in a class until his/her application is complete.

After each instructor has reviewed all of his/her applications and chosen his/her students, we will notify the students via mail around late February of acceptance to the Academy.

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Are There Waiting Lists for Closed Classes?

Although we would like to accommodate all students who apply to the Academy, due to space limitations, this is not possible. Students who could not be assigned to one of the choices indicated on their application will be notified at the same time as the students who were assigned. They will have the choice of requesting a class that still has available seats, going on a waiting list for one of their original choices or withdrawing. Students on a waiting list will be notified within a week of the April 29th deadline of any openings. Placement on a waiting list is not a guarantee of placement into a course.

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Can Students Attend Both Sessions?

Students may apply to attend both sessions.  At the time that they initially apply to the program, they should indicate this desire in the comments sections on the application form. Of course they still must be selected by the JBA faculty member of each class to which they apply before they are allowed to attend each session.  Every year approximately 10% of our students attend both sessions.

Students who attend both sessions must go home at the end of Session I. They will, however, be permitted to leave their belongings in their room.  Normally students are able to remain in the same room for both sessions, but occasionally housing placement pressures require the JBA staff to move the student to a different room.

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How Are Students Evaluated in JBA Classes?

Approximately two weeks after the end of the session, students will receive a description of the course they completed and an individualized evaluation. The faculty member will assess each student’s performance in the class, address their academic strengths and weaknesses, and suggests areas for further academic development. Students and parents may wish to send a copy of the assessment to their own school to be placed in a student’s record.

We believe the primary purpose of attending the Joseph Baldwin Academy should be experiencing the unique intellectual stimulation the program provides.  For this and other reasons, the Academy does not offer high school or college credit for courses completed. Students, however, may negotiate with their local school officials for credit or advanced placement.

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